Key Facts
| Legal position (England) | No requirement to follow the National Curriculum, keep a timetable or give formal lessons |
|---|---|
| Key stages | EYFS (Reception), KS1 Years 1–2, KS2 Years 3–6, KS3 Years 7–9, KS4 Years 10–11 |
| Reference framework | National Curriculum programmes of study on GOV.UK |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
There is no compulsory home education curriculum in the UK: parents decide what to teach, and in England the Department for Education confirms that home-educating families do not have to follow the National Curriculum. The education still has to be suitable to the child's age, ability and aptitude, so most families plan around a reference framework, usually the National Curriculum programmes of study, and then plan back from GCSEs or IGCSEs from about Year 9. The plan below sets out what to cover at each age, how to organise a week and how to record progress.
Do home-educated children have to follow a curriculum?
No. The Department for Education's guidance for parents lists the National Curriculum, a "broad and balanced" curriculum, timetables, formal lessons and detailed lesson plans among the things home-educating parents are not required to provide. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each set a national curriculum for their schools, and none of them binds home-educating families.
The guidance adds that showing the council a suitable education is much easier when a family has paid attention to breadth, progress and assessment. A loose plan around a familiar framework does that without tying the family to school methods, and it keeps a return to school, exams and sixth form open.
Choosing an approach
Home-educating families range from fully structured to fully child-led, and many sit in between and change approach as a child gets older.
| Approach | What it looks like | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Structured | A fixed weekly plan by subject, often using a published course or online lessons | Children who like routine; families planning for exams |
| Semi-structured | Daily English and maths, with topics, projects and outings for the rest | Most primary-age families; a common default |
| Project-based | Long projects that combine subjects, such as a local history study with writing, maps and data | Children with strong interests |
| Child-led or autonomous | Learning follows the child's questions, with the parent supporting and recording | Younger children and confident parents; needs good records for the council |
| Tutor-supported | Parent coordinates, specialists teach some subjects | Secondary age, especially exam subjects |
None of these is preferred in law. What matters to the council is that the education is efficient, full-time and suitable, and that the parent can show it.
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The National Curriculum is organised in key stages, and using the same stages makes it easy to compare a child's progress with published expectations and to move back into school if needed.
| Stage | Age (year group) | Core focus | Wider areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early years | 4 to 5 (Reception) | Early reading through phonics, number sense, talk and play | Drawing, music, outdoor learning, physical play |
| Key stage 1 | 5 to 7 (Years 1 and 2) | Phonics and fluent reading, handwriting, number bonds, place value, simple calculation | Science through observation, history and geography through stories and places, art, music, PE |
| Key stage 2 | 7 to 11 (Years 3 to 6) | Reading for meaning, extended writing, grammar and spelling, times tables, fractions and decimals | Science, history, geography, a modern foreign language, computing, design and technology, art, music, PE including swimming |
| Key stage 3 | 11 to 14 (Years 7 to 9) | English literature and writing, algebra and geometry, the separate sciences | History, geography, a language, computing, the arts; decide GCSE or IGCSE subjects by the end of Year 9 |
| Key stage 4 | 14 to 16 (Years 10 and 11) | Exam courses chosen by the family, usually English, maths and science at minimum | Further GCSEs or IGCSEs, practical and creative subjects, work experience |
| Post-16 | 16 to 18 | A-levels or other courses as a private candidate, at college or online | Independent study, volunteering, work |
The GOV.UK National Curriculum pages list the subjects schools teach at each key stage and link to the full programmes of study, which set out the content year by year in English, maths and science.
Primary years
Reading, writing and arithmetic matter most at primary age because everything later depends on them, and they are where a structured sequence helps. A systematic phonics programme, daily reading aloud, handwriting practice and a maths scheme that builds place value, the four operations and times tables give a firm base. Science, history and geography can then run as topics, outings and projects, which home education handles well.
Key stage 3
Secondary-age home education usually becomes more subject-based, and this is the stage where families often bring in specialists for the sciences, maths and languages. It is also when to decide whether the child will sit GCSEs or IGCSEs, and in which subjects, since most courses run over two years. The GCSEs for home-educated children guide covers that choice in detail.
Key stage 4
From Year 10 the plan is driven by the exam specifications, which the exam boards publish free. Working back from the exam series, families set out which topics to cover each term, when to start past papers and when to book entries at an exam centre that accepts private candidates. The exam centres guide covers entries and fees.
How to organise a home education week
There is no required number of hours, and the guidance notes that home education often involves almost continuous one-to-one contact, so a home education week often looks shorter than a school timetable. The examples below are illustrations, not rules.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | English (reading, phonics or grammar), maths | Science topic, reading aloud |
| Tuesday | English (writing), maths | History or geography project, art |
| Wednesday | Maths, reading | Group activity, sport or swimming |
| Thursday | English (writing), maths | Music, computing, practical project |
| Friday | Maths review, spelling and reading | Outing: museum, library, nature walk |
| Day | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Maths with tutor, independent maths practice | English Language reading and writing |
| Tuesday | Biology with tutor, write-up | History reading, essay planning |
| Wednesday | Maths practice, English Literature text study | Sport, club or volunteering |
| Thursday | Biology practice questions, English with tutor | Elective subject or language |
| Friday | Past-paper questions across subjects | Review the week, plan the next |
Using resources, courses and tutors
Most families combine free resources with a few paid ones. Free options include Oak National Academy's lessons, BBC Bitesize, public libraries and the exam boards' own specifications and past papers, and the home education resources guide lists them by age and subject. Families who want a full timetabled school day sometimes choose an online school, which the online homeschooling guide compares with tutor-led home education.
How to record progress
A simple record of what the child has done, with examples of work, is the most useful thing a home-educating family keeps, both for the family's own planning and for any council enquiry. Short weekly notes, a folder or photographs of work in each subject, reading lists and a termly look back at what has improved are usually enough. The local authority guide shows how to turn these into a short home education report.
Related guides
- Home schooling in the UK: the law in each nation
- Home education in England: the law and your duties
- GCSEs for home-educated children
Tutoring for home-educated children with Taylor Tuition
Families planning a home education curriculum often bring in a tutor for the subjects a parent prefers not to teach, particularly the sciences, maths and languages at secondary age. More than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status and around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and tutors who work with children hold an enhanced DBS check, and most are registered on the DBS Update Service.
Sessions run online for families across the UK and internationally, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject; there is no registration fee and the initial consultation is free.
Read more about our home education tutors, or send an enquiry and we reply with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have to follow the National Curriculum when home schooling?
- No. In England the Department for Education's guidance confirms that home-educating parents do not have to follow the National Curriculum or provide a broad and balanced curriculum. Many use it as a reference so progress is easy to show and a return to school stays straightforward.
- How many hours a day should home schooling take?
- There is no legal minimum. Home education does not have to mirror school hours, and one-to-one work tends to cover ground more quickly than a class, so many primary-age families spend a few focused hours a day on core work plus reading, projects and outings.
- What subjects should a home-educated child study?
- Most families cover English and maths every week, add science, and then choose from history, geography, languages, computing, the arts, music and physical activity. From about Year 9 the subjects are usually set by the GCSEs or IGCSEs the child will sit.
- Can I buy a complete home education curriculum?
- Yes. Published courses, structured packs and online schools offer complete curricula, and some families use one for core subjects only. Free resources such as Oak National Academy and BBC Bitesize cover much of the National Curriculum too.
- When should I start planning for GCSEs?
- By the end of Year 9 for most families, since GCSE and IGCSE courses usually run over two years and entries go through an exam centre that accepts private candidates.
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